In a game where half of the goals came on special teams, the No. 3 University of Minnesota Duluth women's hockey team's attempt at a comeback fell just short Sunday against the No. 1 University of Wisconsin 7-3 in LaBahn Arena in Madison, Wis.

 

The Bulldogs, who suffered their first series sweep of the season, had both their special team tallies scored by Olivia Mobley, who recorded both a power play and shorthanded score. 

 

Although the Badgers scored the first goal of the opening period 7:16 in, fifth-year defenseman Nina Jobst-Smith unloaded a wicked wrist shot from the high slot to equalize exactly seven minutes later. Jobst-Smith, who has now scored three goals against the Badgers over her career, including two in the past two season, was assisted by junior defenseman Tova Henderson.

 

But it was Wisconsin that scored three unanswered goals in the second period, capped off by a power play score at 16:17 of the second stanza, but the Bulldogs again bit back in the form of Mobley. The fifth-year winger beat Ava McNaughton from the slot, capitalizing on a clean pass from Clara Van Wieren from the top of the left circle with just 64 seconds until the second intermission to cut the UMD deficit to 4-2.

 

The Badgers struck for their second power play goal of the game 3:13 of the third period, and added a sixth tally just over a minute later, but again UMD got on the board, this time a shorthanded goal from Mobley. Mary Kate O'Brien, who had driven to the Badger net from the redline, took the initial shot, but Mobley was there to pop in the rebound – the first player to score two goals against Wisconsin in four seasons.

 

Down three and loaded up with a five minute power play, the Bulldogs went all in on the game. At 13:10 of the third frame and pulled goaltender Tindra Holm for the 6-on-4 skater advantage. But Wisconsin netted an empty netter less than two minutes later, and with it, snuffed out any UMD hope of a late comeback.

 

Holm made her debut in the Bulldog net Sunday and made 24 saves on 30 shots faced. McNaughton had 20 for Wisconsin, who outshot UMD 31-23 and improved to 6-0 2-0 in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association on the season.

 

The Bulldogs (3-3, 2-2) will finally skate at AMSOIL Arena this weekend when they host the University of St. Thomas in two afternoon games. The puck drops Friday on UMD's home opener at 3:00 p.m. Friday before game two on Saturday, scheduled to begin at 2:00 p.m.

BULLDOG NOTES: While UMD went 1-of-3 on its power play (with one power play just 50 seconds long) with three total shots, the Badgers were 2–of-6 with nine shots … the Bulldogs had just 7:50 of extra skater time, while UW had 11:09 up a skater during the game … Olivia Mobley is the first player to score two goals against Wisconsin since Elizabeth Giguere recorded two on Feb. 4, 2022, a 3-0 win in Madison … Not only did Nina Jobst-Smith get her third career goal against the Badgers and seventh point (3g, 4a), Clara Van Wieren picked up her sixth assist … Van Wieren now has eight points (2g, 6a) against UW over her career and leads all current UMD players in points against Wisconsin … Sunday marks the first series sweep for Wisconsin over a Bulldog side since Dec. 6-7, 2019.